Rewind, a history lesson
by Almond Luver
Summary: Today isn't perfect. Tomorrow isn't perfect. Nothing ever is, no matter how hard the historians try to pretend it is. Facts can't be smoothed out. History, therefore, can't be perfect. Giftfic for The sexy hottie bunny. ButterflyxJoker
1. Once upon a time

_**I don't own YC!Seoul 2000. Yeo Ji Chung might, though. **_

…_**.**_

_**No…**_

Pause.

Cut to next scene.

Play.

…_**..**_

"**Once upon a time,** in a far away land, there were five kingdoms:

The split **kingdom of hearts**,"

_:The medieval, standard English castle: _

_That was, like its name, split into two halves- the pure heart and the sinister heart. The white half of the kingdom was ruled by their king- the beautiful and idiotically sweet SH. The darker half of the heart kingdom was ruled by the queen, definitely the more smarter of the two, but that much more dangerous- SA. Though they were twins (and looked exactly the same), it was easy to tell who was who. _

"**Passionate diamonds**,"

_:The exotic Indian Palace:_

_The queen of diamonds -Cerulean- died without bearing a son, so the to-be queen (or, in other words, princess –Azure- ) lawfully, had to marry either the jack or Ace, both of which were much too old. Her father –Crimson- , after the loss of his queen, refused to rule the kingdom even half-decently, therefore sprouting the existence of many gypsies, thieves, and criminals. Overall, the diamond kingdom was a colorful place, even if it was located in one of the hottest deserts. _

"**Ice-cold clovers**,"

_:The Fortress of ice:_

_Nobody knows when the clover empire began. Only that sooner or later, a tall tower made up of purely ice was standing, and with it, a complete set of fancy houses. The clover people lived in ice, and maybe because of that- had a heart of ice. Not much is known about this kingdom. _

"**Perfect spades**,"

_:The Dragon Citadel:_

_Once again, true to their nickname, the kingdom of Spades was considered 'perfect'- A place where ever peasant was full and everyone was happy. In truth, it wasn't exactly perfect, but it was the 'peacefulest' of all four kingdoms for most of the time. The Prince of Spades, on his 17__th__ birthday, was to wed his older-by-two-years sister a weekend before she was kidnapped, and never found again. The prince was heartbroken, but he proceeded to the King's spot and never married. _

"…And last- the rebellious **kingdom of jokers**."

_..._

"Hurry up. What information do you have on the jokers, stupid textbook?"

_Nothing…_

"Gah! I HATE history. They don't even give you all the answers!"

_Slam! _

A book on the ground.

"You know what? I bet that's not even the truth. I bet that the princess or whatever wasn't kidnapped. I bet she went out on her own, and the historians are just too embarrassed to tell us that!"

_**No…**_

_Stop._

Fade out.

Fade in with a forest, and the silhouette of a young woman holding a bundle.

Play.

…**..**

_**No.**_

_I can't die here. Not like this._

And so the spade queen thought as she ran through the forest…

…**..**

_The forest where she had met __**him**__._

**Hello everyone. **

**Here's the story that The Sexy hottie bunny's been PM-ing me FOREVER about. I'm so sorry I didn't get it started sooner, I was busy with summer school and crap. Really really sorry. **

**Anyway, this is a MY version of an actual history book. I have this guy friend who collects things that fall from the sky. Apparently, the book was one of them. Judging by the thickness of it, I think someone was trying to kill someone else. He thinks it's a gift from god. Whatever. **

**Anyway, all I did was plug in the characters because they were so similar. I mean, the history book said exactly the same thing, except it was WAYYY longer and WAYYY more boring. And since the manhwa also had the same characters…**

**Sexy hottie bunny, I hope you enjoyed. **

**Let me know what you think.**

**~signed with kisses~**


	2. Scene one, take one

**My lovely readers…**

**Thank you to the golden pen who reviewed four minutes after this was posted (and yes, I love directors notes too. Which is why I added more in this chapter), The seventeenth review who has logic that defies nature (much like Seto Kaiba's coat), Nana chan who left me an honest review, Alpha fan who once again gives me a clear view of their thoughts shortly, Visual kei who thinks I'm doing great, The Pacific coast who calls ME a poet (oh, the irony…), Growing a peach tree who is a very descriptive reviewer, KKK who likes the word 'ish'…**

…**And the Sexy hottie Bunny who wrote quite a review. Read it, if you have time. The review's art in itself. **

**Thank you, once more. And for my sake, please enjoy the next chapter as well. **

**~signed with kisses~**

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

"These aren't in order…"

"Come on. Let's go."

An abandoned living room.

"A movie not in order?"

A hand grabs a wrist.

"Help m-"

Play.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**- - -, Scene twenty two, take one:**

_**Not like this…**_

_She heard the leaves crackling behind her. The wind blew._

"Princess."

_That well known, mocking voice. Instinctively, she whirled around._

_Joker._

_Yes, it was indeed the very man. The sweet, poisonous smirk that reminded her of the attraction she had felt toward him. Those flashing lavender eyes and that brilliant dark skin, splattered with his own blood._

_The Queen coughed, grasping the bundle before her._

"_Actually, 'queen' would be the more appropriate term to use."_

_She knew she was testing his patience. Likewise, the joking glint left the man's eyes and were replaced by violet slits that showed hateful, raw emotions._

_Alas, those were the real, from- heart emotions._

"Queen_," he spat, testing the word and obviously not liking the sound. She felt the burning, furious eyes sweep swiftly over her frail figure._

_**No.**_

_Then his joking, playful expression returned; so quickly that the queen froze with fear. His eyes had its usual sparkle, and despite all the killing he had done, he looked almost like his normal self._

_What's so funny?_

_She clutched the bundle more tightly, held her breath, and examined the man closely._

_Her eyes searched him making the man smirk at her obvious panic. Darting around his features, she finally found what he was smirking about._

_Why she had failed to realize it, she would regret later._

_That is, if there was a later._

…**No…**

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Stop.

Cut.

Fade out.

Fade in with a new scene.

"Hey, what are you thinking?"

Play.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**October 14****th****, -. Scene One, take one**

It was the dead of night, an hour when most of the people would wandering through dreamland, save the cruel. A lone figure snuck out of the Spade palace's chambers as silently as she could. She left the palace by the back entrance, used mainly by the kitchen workers, where there were usually no guards. Even the sound of her breathing seemed to disturb the peaceful silence of the night.

At last she was out in the cool night air. With a glance around, she made sure that the path ahead was clear. Drawing a dark cloak around herself, she ran quickly towards the edges of the palace grounds. It was not far from there to her destination: the forest.

The figure quickly scurried across the seemingly abandoned courtyard that also served as the borderline between the wilderness and the civilized towns. Feverishly tucking long strands of rebellious hair under her cloak, she ushered herself into the group of wild plants, leaving her palace and the people she ruled behind her without much thought.

It was in the jumbled mess of darkness that the girl hesitantly removed her dark brown coat, revealing her healthy black locks and wide, brown eyes that stared off into the darkness surrounding her. Cautiously, she treaded on the airy spaces of the fallen leaves, waving her hand in front of her and clutching a tree or vine whenever the chance was given.

"It's so dark," a fine voice grumbled in a boyish fashion. "How am I suppose to see through-" (with this, she violently thrashed her long fingers in front of her) "-_this_?"

Not that she was scared. Nothing could scare her. Even if her heart was pounding wildly in her chest as she thought of all the criminals that had housed there and were currently living in the forest. Even if it made her eyes twitch at just the thought of all those ghost stories about the place being haunted. Nope, she was not afraid, and nothing could scare her, because she was the almighty princess of spades, and nothing, nothing at all, could scare the great, bold, brave-

"_WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?_"

Almost as if on cue, a feathery object fell onto her hand, and she pulled the hand closer to her face, trying to trace out the outline of the object in front of her, but in vain. With a groan, she walked toward a spot of moonlight that shown through the trees, nearly tripping over a few messily grown roots. Once she arrived at her destination, she carefully bathed her hand in the moonlight, squinting to see what it was. Those long, delicate legs sort of looked like a…

"RA _**DARN IT! A S-SPIIIDERRRR**_!"

She shook her palms hyperly, blowing on her hand and kicking her legs for the extra effect. She fell into a pile of leaves and immediately jumped up, then continued her little dance.

When she was finally convinced the spider was gone, she stopped, smoothed out her clothes, and huffed into the blackness.

_Stupid spider._

She wasn't afraid of spiders. And if she hadn't been so rudely interrupted, she would have added that part into her little speech. Nope, not at all, she just hugely disliked insects and screamed at the very sight of them, but not because she was scared, merely because she was disgusted. Yes, that was it. She was only disgusted.

She let out a long, velvety sigh.

"By Ra… Perhaps waiting until the sun comes up would be a better idea?..."

She set her stuff down and jumped as she heard the slight chirp of a cricket.

_Not scared indeed. _

It was going to be a long night…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

…And it was.

She waited in the shadows by an abandoned tree. She'd been there for an hour, and was so on edge that the slightest sound caused by the wind or a passing mouse caused her to jump, and her heart to leap into her throat. She was so terrified, that she was starting to hear noises that weren't there. She stared down the empty moonlit street, eyes wide, straining to hear anything that might be of danger.

The moon rose higher in the sky, shedding its ghostly light across the trees. The murmur of the wind seemed to whisper secrets into the princess's ears… Or was that the echo of a human voice?

She cleared her throat. "Me and my dumb imagination…" Forcing out a hoarse laugh, she wrapped the cloak around her tighter. The trees were more visible in the dim light of the moon, and she went lax, entertained by the singing crickets and the slight vibrating of footsteps. She sighed and grinned sheepishly, scolding her wild imagination once more.

…Hold it…

_Footsteps?_

The girl jumped up, her eyes widening. Sure enough, she detected trembling in the ground, vibrating more and more as the object came closer…

Utterly terrified, she grabbed her things and sprinted across the forest, not caring where she was headed. She held her breath and grimaced every time dead leaves crackled underneath her foot.

Yet the vibrating continued. And in a _much speedier_ pace then hers.

She continued to dart around the trees, her heart pumping loudly in her ears, and panic being the only motivation to pull her worn body through.

Who could it be? A criminal, most likely. The sight of a young human girl would be unfamiliar and somewhat thrilling to their eyes. She couldn't stop now. Her head ached and her body begged for mercy, but panic wouldn't let her stop anytime soon. Still, she was loosing speed and her legs began to move sluggishly. Closing her eyes, the princess began to imagine all the disgusting, horrible things that could happen if she got caught. Skinned, burned, choked, stabbed, beaten, drowned…

Finally, her body failed her, and she ran out of breath, but she dared not gasp as to fill her greedy lung's hunger.

She looked around wildly, finding herself near a thorn bush, and then lunged towards it and threw herself in a corner. She pressed up against the opening, out of sight and concealed by the shadows.

The girl clasped her hands over her mouth to stifle her heavy breathing as well as any noises that she might accidentally make. Then, she held perfectly still and listened.

She was greeted with silence, thick and stifling. The sound of her heartbeat grew more prominent in her ears as the silence seemed to thicken around her like a fog.

Minutes ticked by slowly as silence continued to reign.

The prey's wait seemed like eternity. Time slowly past until, finally, the princess simply couldn't stand it. Slowly, she moved towards the closet door and peered out into the woods.

Suddenly, a whisper tickled her ear.

"_A-ha, what do we have here? A lost child_?"

…It was then she realized she was, indeed, _very _scared.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

She nearly jumped out of her skin as she let out a strangled squeak, jerking back instinctively. She whipped around and turned to look, for the very first time, at her captor's features. The first thing that came flashing neon lights into her brain was the hair.

_White. Hair. _

The only white hair in the entire world was from the…

"_Joker_," she gasped, faintly inhaling the sweet scent of the well known criminal.

She had never seen the man before – only heard legends and tales of the things he'd done, and seen the bloody aftermath of his kills. He loomed above her like a shadow in the night. His _white_ hair was illuminated by the moon, and his lilac eyes shone, looking down at her with a predatory gleam. His skin was as dark as the cream, coffee sand.

A low chuckle, and then: "_And_ _just who might you be_?" With this, he slowly began to walk closer to her.

He was dressed finely in a rich velvet purple and black. He was even taller than the Princess had judged at first, and stronger than she had expected. He towered over the shorter woman. Afraid, she unconsciously took a step backwards. The man reached a darkly gloved hand out and took the girl's chin, forcing her to look up. Fearful brown eyes met calm lilac ones.

"_Hmm_," she heard the deep voice drawl as she felt purple orbs studying her face. "_You. Are the spade Princess_."

She remained speechless as his hand slowly pulled away from her chin. She could still feel his amused glare.

How did he know?

"_Pleased to meet you, Princess,"_ he said softly. He sounded amused, but no less dangerous. He wasn't smiling, but his lavender eyes twinkled with mirth. The king bit off one gloved hand, carelessly throwing it onto the dirt, before he took her hand, which seemed to have gone limp. His hand was strong, rough and weathered. He bowed, and brought her hand to his lips in a polite peck. Looking into her eyes, he backed up dangerously before speaking once more.

"_Now tell me… Why are you away from your cozy, sweet home_?"

"I…just wanted some time to myself." That was the first time the woman has spoken. Her silvery voice shook, but her determined, boyish accent remained.

"_Hn? You know how to talk_?" He stepped in front of the smaller woman and lifted her chin again. Hesitantly, the brown eyes lifted to meet his. The fear in them was so great the Joker wouldn't have been surprised if the girl had fainted. But she managed to hold the king's gaze.

"_You have no where to go_?" asked the Criminal King evenly.

"Yes." The joker could feel her shaking.

"_Perfect_," was the prompt reply. "_Your eyes are brown_."

The Princess blinked slowly at the random comment. "…Yes," she replied hesitantly, her voice faltering. "They are… Why?"

"_That's a sure sign of madness_."

Her fear parting for a moment, she looked up curiously at the Criminal King. "I've heard that before. Why does it matter?"

"_Because_," the Joker chuckled. "_You're staying with me from now on._"

The Princess snapped her gaze up to the man instantly, ready to ask if she had indeed heard that correctly. But the severe seriousness in the mad man's eyes were enough of an answer for her.

Stay? With him? With that crazy psychotic Joker who was famous for eating people's souls and hearts? With the legendary Criminal King who enjoyed blood and gore? Stay with him for god knows how long and be PART of his criminal activities? He must be kidding! There was no way she was going to stay with him! Oh _no_, she would go right up to him, smile rudely, tuck her hair back into her cloak and say, very bravely-

"…Great!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Cut.

_Flip your hair to the other side in that scene. _

"No…I can't stop it…"

The sound of Whirring.

"This is the wrong scene…"

A sympathetic smile.

"Can you put them in order?"

A furious moment of silence.

Then head shaking

"No."

"It's okay. I don't ask that much. Just play it out."

A sideway glance.

Pause.

Play.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**- - -, Scene twenty-two, take one**

_Her focus blurred as she stared at his hand._

_It was a normal joker's hand; purple fingernails, sturdy palms, the ring of Lord Evaan, and the strong muscles._

_It wasn't the hand that made her face loose its color._

_It was the rifle. _

"Hands up_**, Queen.**__" _


	3. Scene two, take one

**A/N: Sorry for such a late update. I've just been so busy buying tickets, playing around, enjoying summer, ect. You know, it's vacation and shit. I've been sitting here for an hour and a half. Didn't even bother to revise it, I just came back from an amusement park, and i'm heading right to sleep right after this. If the descriptions are a bit rushed or crappy... oh well, poor you. And me, for writing trash. I hope you enjoy. **

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Drops of salty water fall onto a wooden table, in front of a steaming white cup filled with coffee.

"Please. Please don't make me do this..."

A clipboard and a pen falls to the floor, and footsteps rush to greet wracking sobs.

"Miss, please, you're doing fine. We need this..." Quick glances. "...Movie."

"I-I..."

A softer voice. "The harder scenes can come later. Having a gun point... Is very dramatic, I think a bit too much for you- us. How about something easier to play?"

Silence.

"Just cut the other one out. It doesn't fit."

Pause.

Cut.

Fade out.

Fade in with a new scene.

"Can you do this?"

"...Yes."

Play.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**Later October 14th, -. Scene two, take one**

"_You're not sleeping there, Majesty_."

Butterfly kept her eyes closed, pretending she hadn't heard.

"_Nice try, Princess. I know you're awake_."

With what felt like a gargantuan effort, Butterfly opened her eyes and looked up. After the man had gotten them out of the woods, he had brought her to the nearest cottage that he owned, which was "small" but somewhat cozy with two large floors and a medium sized attic, empty save for a few pieces of furniture, all of them clean and without a trace of dust. It was a waste of space, the Princess had thought when she had first entered, a house for one man alone, when he had a whole other kingdom some hundred miles away. Despite the size, there was only one useable bedroom, in which there was a divan, a harp, and pieces of exotic/old fashioned furniture. Several oil lamps were aflame, warm golden lights filling her vision behing her shuttered eyelids.

Between the divan and the floor, Butterfly had chosen the floor. Although the night was cold, she had chosen not to haazard taking a blanket, since the robe she wore was practically a blanket in itself. She had curled up by the wall, cushioned her head on her arm comfortable, and let her eyes fall closed.

Big mistake.

The Joker was standing by the entrance, arms crossed, looking down at her impatiently. "_Move_," he said shortly.

"Thank you very much, but I'm quite comfortable here," Butterfly mumbled politely, stifling a yawn. Her brain was moving rather slowly. She really didn't want to get up.

"_Maybe I didn't make myself clear_," The King said indulgently. He pointed to where Butterfly was. "_That's where I sleep. And that is where you sleep_." He pointed to the divan.

Butterfly remained where she was. Etiquette had always taught her to be an unassuming guest, so taking the floor felt automatic to her. It was simple courtesy, wasn't it? The divan was the only other place to sleep. Why would the divan be there if the criminal king didn't sleep there?

That, and she _really_ didn't want to move.

"I'm fine, really," she replied.

The Joker grinned at her, revealing dangerously sharp fangs. "_You're a stubborn girl, anyone tell you that_?"

Butterfly tried to avoid his glance. She already felt guilty enough for imposing on the criminal king's hospitality, and no matter what the thief said, she'd be damned if she'd take up the only comfortable spot in the room. She suspected it was a trap in any case – the joker would trick her into sleeping on the damn thing, only to make some sardonic comment about privileged nobles, and then she'd feel even more guilty for the rest of the night and probably not be able to sleep. _No thanks. _Butterfly turned around and wished the man away.

The Joker growled with impatience and stalked across the room so he was by Butterfly's side, looming menacingly over the smaller noble. "You'd better get used to taking orders, Majesty. I don't take kindly to insolence."

"But you're just going to make fun of me again," Butterfly protested.

The criminal king had to suppress a smile. "That's_ what this is all about_?"

Butterfly was about to reply that it was a perfectly legitimate suspicion, given the events of the night thus far, when the Joker shrugged off his shirt, folded it, and tossed it to the back of the room, where it landed perfectly into a basket. Butterfly randomly suspected that he had done it lots of times before.

Then, to Butterfly's total and utter shock, she felt the King lie down beside her.

He pulled a blanket over the both of them and made himself comfortable as if nothing at all were amiss.

Butterfly tried to stop the heat from spreading across her face, twisted around, and blinked mock-curiously at him. "What on _earth_ are you doing?"

The man crossed his arms behind his head and glanced at Butterfly, an amused expression on his handsome features. "_Well, Majesty, if you refuse to leave what amounts to _my bed," he replied, "_I can only assume it's because you _want_ to be here_." The King chuckled. "_I must say, I admire your directness_…"

Butterfly sat bolt upright, indignant. "You know perfectly well I didn't mean it like that."

"_So what did you mean? Enlighten me_."

Butterfly found herself at a complete loss for words. For once, she yearned to respond with something witty and biting, yet due to the fact she was thoroughly thrown off balance, a reply eluded her. Usually it was the other way around. Perhaps it was the changed setting... or the failed attempt at running away from all humanity and not being recognized... or how quickly things were happening... or the fact that she was lying next to a man she didn't know... or because the man behind her had a perfect, sculpture-like body with a matching godly face to go with it, and was pressed flush against-

"_You know, you turn pink an awful lot_," the criminal observed smoothly.

Butterfly realized with horror that she was indeed blushing. "Well, whose fault is that?" she demanded, flustered.

"_No need to get defensive, Princess_," The Joker murmured, smirking and pulling her back down so they were facing each other. "I _don't mind if you stay_."

Butterfly found that she didn't resist at all for some reason and inwardly cursed herself. But for a brief, confused moment in which she didn't feel entirely herself, she wondered if it would really be all that bad to just give up, to stay there…after all it was a cold night, and the king's body next to her was warm…

The Criminal King had the aroma of something exotic, something dangerous. The heavy, sweet scent of lavendar surrounded him - and there was something else too, something that Butterfly knew, but couldn't quite place…

Butterfly looked up to find the king gazing at her, leaning on his elbow, a smile still gracing his lips. Hypnotized, like a cobra before the snake charmer, she found himself unable to look away. They were very close. Dimly, she realized that the Criminal King's hand was resting on her side, heavy and strong. She could feel its heat through her dress. The air seemed to have gotten thick.

"It's a little warm in here, isn't it?" Butterfly managed to say (rather unintelligently, she thought).

"_On the contrary_," replied the King. "_It's freezing_." Was it just her imagination, or did he pull her a little closer?

It was definitely not her imagination when the man's hand wandered further up. A teasing thumb began to trace slowly along the bones of her ribs and toward her neck, leaving a strange sensation in its wake - a warm tingle that ran along Butterfly's skin.

Although his touch was soft, Butterfly's breath stopped in her throat for a moment and a tremor of fear seemed to pass through her like a vapor.

It was only for a brief moment, a split second really – but the Joker saw how Butterfly's eyes suddenly grew distant before her expression returned, vague and troubled. He let his hand slip away as Butterfly hurriedly got to her feet and withdrew to the other side of the room.

The noble stood for an awkward moment in deliberation before sheepishly deciding to sit on the divan. The apprehension had passed as soon as it had come.

"You win," Butterfly muttered under her breath, not meeting his eyes.

The criminal king grinned and threw a blanket at her. "_Quite an ordeal getting you to leave, I have to say._"

Butterfly's eyes widened. _He was just screwing with me the whole time…_

"_Maybe_," he said, "_you'll listen to me next time_."

Butterfly lay down in a huff. She really didn't appreciate being manipulated…but she couldn't deny that on some level she felt relief. Relief that the Joker hadn't been serious, relief that she might be able to put it out of her mind.

The shadows from the oil lamps flickered on the domed ceiling of the elegant house. Butterfly lay and watched the dancing light diminish one by one. The darkness encroached as shadows grew from the corners of the room. There went a lamp, there went another, extinguished by a gust of air, plunged into darkness by something as insubstantial as a breath.

The Joker picked up the last lamp and was about to blow it out when Butterfly stopped him.

"Wait," she said, somewhat sharply. "Would you mind leaving it on?"

The Joker shrugged. "_Not at all_." He put the lamp on the floor in the middle of the room. "_Afraid of the dark, Majesty_?"

Butterfly didn't reply. The light was just strong enough to faintly illuminate most of the cave. She could make out the criminal, a short distance away, the sheen of the curtain, the dull gleam of the treasure in the corner.

"I'm not afraid," she said finally.

"_I'd recommend being truthful with me_."

"You can trust me," Butterfly told him. And it was true – she wasn't afraid. Not really. She was watchful, that was all.

"_Trust you_?" The man chuckled. "_I don't trust anyone. Why you think I should trust you_?"

"I'm honest," Butterfly said. "I have no reasons to lie."

"_And you can tell me anything you want_," The Joker replied, "_but it doesn't make it true. I could say I was honest too, but would you believe me_?"

"Probably, at least until you proved me otherwise."

Butterfly became aware of the Criminal King studying her. "_All that means_," the King said at length, "_is that you're lucky you've got someone smart looking out for you_."

"Couldn't it also mean that you can be honest if you want?"

"_If I _want?" He raised an eyebrow. "_But, Majesty, therein lies the quandary. If being honest is something you can choose, doesn't that make everyone who chooses to be honest necessarily duplicitous by nature_?"

Butterfly paused. She had never really considered this before. Sh wasn't about to back down, though. It was a matter of principle.

"_Depressing, isn't it_?" said the Criminal King.

"No, it's honest."

She met The Joker's eyes, and was quick enough to register a look of surprise. And then the King smiled in that way he had, lazy like a cat in the sun.

"That_ depends on how you choose to define honesty_," he said, "_and if we start talking about that, I suspect we'll be up most of the night_." He yawned. "_I propose we forgo this discussion at least until tomorrow_."

Butterfly could have gone on arguing about compromised choices, big truths and small truths and everything in between, but her eyelids were growing heavy and it was hard to keep up with the pace of the Joker's mind.

"_Get some rest_," she heard him say.

Sleep came slowly to Butterfly, this night like most nights. The glow of the lamp was reassuring, but as the light changed, flickered and burned, so did the shadows in the corners of the room. Of course she wasn't afraid, but it was still hard to keep her eyes away from the walls. Butterfly wrapped the blanket around herself more tightly – it was made of wool, rough but warm. If she kept looking at the walls, she knew, sleep would never come, so instead she watched the steady rise and fall of the man's perfect back. Under the quiet sound of the Joker's breathing, she could hear the sound of the wind rising outside. Time passed, and slowly, Butterfly drifted off into a troubled slumber of her own, ignorant of the gleaming violet eyes that watched her every breath all through the night.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_Cut, cut, there! Turn to the right, not the left! _

Heavy breathing.

"You did it."

_No. You don't understand. She needs to stop. This is wrong. There's more. There's more!_

Fade out.

Fade in with a new scene.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**-. Scene twenty two, take one:**

_Cold wind blew soothingly against her beating heart, silencing the rebellious pumping of the red body part._

"Thought you could escape?" _The Queen could trace out a chuckle in his dark voice._

**_Stop. There's no reason to laugh. This isn't funny._**

_Blood blood blood blood blood. Everywhere, all over the dusty ground, all over herself, all over the Joker. He was blood and she was blood and they were all blood and how happy they were, red spots mixing, mixing, mixing together, insanely crowding her vision- beautiful red, lovely red, deathly red, tempting red. And it gave her a giddy excitement, that everything was red._

_She wasn't insane. Not yet. Because despite her dainty thoughts, it still killed her to think about where the red came from, the actual owner's of the blood they had coated on. And no matter how much she acted like a queen, she was still a girl, trapped between two things she loved-or, use to love. In the middle, with a gun pointed at her head._

_She looked up, once again, at the Joker, emotionless. He must be in pain. He had to be in pain. So much blood, so much insanity was dripping from him, but he was standing as if nothing had happened, any traces of a wince fully washed away from his perfect face._

_And smiling._

**_Stop it. Please, just stop smiling._**

_But the smile was contagious. It copied itself right onto her pale, bloodied face in glorious insanity. She smiled so hard that her cheeks hurt, and her face was dangerously close to tearing apart, but it refused to budge. It stayed, second after aching second, planted onto her face, waiting for a hint of sound, of movement, of life. She was hypnotized by him, his ability to grin through death, his will to see her dead. How extraordinary._

_Her trance was broken, however, when a soft wail came from the bundle she was holding. Realizing what had just happened, she stared at horror from the bundle to the man, her eyes wide and full of fear._

_The smile had left his face, and instead, he was gazing furiously at the bundle. Agony seized her._

"So," _he said softly, the wicked grin spreading itself back on his lips_. "That's the princess, isn't it?"

_The next part happened quickly. She could make out him moving the gun, and a flash of purple orbs._

_BANG!_

"_**NO!-"**_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Pause.

Fade out.


	4. Scene three, take one

**A/N: Longest chapter ever. 5,510 words, people. All I have to say is I just re-thought my story plot and I think god, if I wanna finish off the story by scene 22 or somewhere near that, I better speed things up and quit making such short scenes. All the better for you, right? I know everything's pretty muddy now, but it'll clear up, I swear. I love my reviewers: HAI GO GO GO- thank you sweets, The. Review- There's a first time for everything, The Golden pen 13- Yes, we all love insanity too, the burned boy- curiousity killed the cat. You'll have to wait for an explanation, great chicken wingszz- Thank you for your considerably long review. There's a first for everything, yes, and am I glad that first was for me, KKK- how kind of you to wait and not spam my PMs with 'please update' shit, YGOTAS FTW- I have got to learn how to memorize quotes like you do, Growing a peach tree- Thank you, but you're the real genius, The SEXY HOTTIE BUNNY- So glad you like it, Alpha fans- Yes, the end is freaky in the right way, isn't it?, and the Pacific Coast- your shit is also very holy. And oh, I might not upload for a while, I'm taking a break. But yeah, i'll get to it ASAP. So read on and enjoy. **

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"NO! DON'T SHOOT, PLEASE, DON'T SHOOT!"

Smooth white shards of jagged glass fall, along with a the remaints of the coffee in the once complete cup.

Rushed feet and a firm stare.

"Calm down. Calm down, it was only a... Shh, only a movie."

Wracking sobs pass through a thin figure.

Pause.

"Please... someone... Rewind that..."

Fade out.

"It was only a movie-"

Fade in with a new scene.

Play.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_"Where are you headed off to, huh?"_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**-. Scene Three, take one**

Morning brought with it a clear, beautiful emptiness. She opened her eyes, and even though there were no windows in the chamber, Butterfly knew it was the start of a new day. The air was lighter somehow, quiet and still, and in the slumberous hush he could hear everything – the wind that gently stirred the curtain, the sputter of the hot oil in the still-burning lamps, the soft respirations on the other side of the room.

There was a light aflame in the corner, and it cast a tremulous shadow through the strings of the harp that fell in stripes across the body of the sleeping thief. He was sprawled on his back, head comfortably cushioned against his arm, a tangle of white hair hiding part of his face. The lines of light and darkness moved with him as he breathed – shade pooling in the hollows of his throat, brilliance flickering across the planes of his chest. He looked invulnerable, arrogant even in sleep. Briefly, Butterfly wondered what it would be like to sleep like that – unafraid, as if nothing and no one could hurt her, even in the night. _Was _it even possible to hurt the man? From the way he carried himself, it seemed it would be easier to throw stones at God.

But the scars on his body seemed to suggest otherwise. There were thick, knotted scars on his back – it was all too easy to guess where those had come from- and there was a thin, pale line his throat that. He was marked in some way, a testament to the life he led. But who could have come close enough to inflict it? Who would have dared?

It struck Butterfly as odd how easily she had excepted the man's protection. Maybe it was because he had practically forced her to, leaving her no other choice?

Probably.

It had to be.

Butterfly, under the right circumstances, was capable of being an extremely lazy person. If no immediate circumstances prevented her from doing so, she was generally perfectly happy remaining in bed for as long as two hours after she woke up, absently observing her thoughts the way a child watches minnows in still water. But this time, for once, she didn't want to be alone with her reflections. With the Thief King asleep, no distractions were forthcoming, and besides, Butterfly wasn't sure she was capable of facing him again right away after the strange night that had just passed. Quietly, she got to her feet. She turned, and headed out of the chamber, hoping to find something else to occupy her thought – or would have, had not a nearby hand suddenly shot out and closed around her wrist.

With a noise of surprise (for the sake of his precarious self-esteem, Butterfly told herself it had definitely been a _dignified_ noise) she spun around, only just managing to regain her balance, and stared in shock down at the interference.

The interference stared back somewhat critically, sharp-eyed considering the fact that he had (to external appearances) been sleeping soundly not a moment ago. "_Leaving again so soon_?" he asked.

Butterfly just blinked.

"_And without even so much as a good morning_," the King continued dolefully. "_Do I really mean so little to you, Majesty_?"

It was a good thing The Joker could keep a straight face when he wanted to; otherwise he would have burst out laughing at the indignant look that appeared on the noble's face.

"I didn't even know you were awake!" Butterfly complained in her own defense.

"_I'm always awake_," the thief replied smoothly. "_Even when I'm asleep_."

"I'll keep that in mind…" Butterfly eyed him with suspicion. It didn't seem possible for a being to wake up that quickly. The logical conclusion to be drawn, of course, was that he had only been pretending...but to what end? It was possible, she supposed, that the man never really slept at all, but this was a rather troubling thought.

The Joker chuckled, a deep bass rumble that started somewhere in his chest. "_Relax, Majesty. You'll kill yourself if you don't lighten up once in a while. Now sit down, I want to talk to you_."

At those simple words, Butterfly's face went in a second from mildly distressed to guarded. It was like a wall had gone up somewhere behind her eyes. Unconsciously, the noble glanced towards the entrance of the chamber, as if judging whether it might be worthwhile to make a run for it. This evasive glance was not lost on the thief. Figuring, finally, that she wouldn't make it before he did, she obediently took a seat on the edge of the divan and watched the man, eyes wide, as if ready to run at the first sign of danger. The thief thought, with some amusement, that she looked rather like a nervous gazelle.

"_Would you stop fidgeting with that thing_?"

Butterfly dropped the hem of her robe with some reluctance.

"_Now_," said the Thief King. "_What were you doing out of your kingdom_?"

The words were simple, straightforward at first, but Butterfly didn't miss the shrewd tone of voice, the unspoken message. She knew he wanted an explanation, but she didn't have one. How pathetic she must seem to him now, how strange, how weak...

"I just wanted some fresh air," the younger woman said, trying to sound nonchalant. But her voice came out unsure, even to herself.

Butterfly got the uncanny sense she was being sized up. The Joker's attention was so focused it was almost piercing, and his lilac eyes were cold, scrutinizing her carefully, as if Butterfly was a complicated trap he was trying to disable.

"_You do know_," he continued, chit-chat fashion. "_that because of your unwise descision to come to the Criminal's Kingdom you could've gotten raped last night, had I been anyone else_?"

It was something Butterfly would rather not think about. How was she suppose to know that trouble would follow her so quickly? She was planning to cross the woods as fast as she could and then... and then nothing. What could she say? She was winging it. The only thing she had planned on was freedom and some decent company away from her kingdom, to a lonely old woman, perhaps. What she had not planned was getting caught in the middle of the woods by a up-by-side insane Joker and actually enjoying his- no wait, not enjoying- finding his company _tolerable_. Which was what was happening at the moment. Everything was going just as she thought it would.

"But," she added quickly. "You _weren't_ anyone else."

"_Ah_." He smirked. "_Depending on luck? I like that. So what were you planning to do next_?"

She looked at him, cautiously. Should she tell? Shouldn't she? Did she want to? Did she trust him? Trust? The guy who killed millions? Trust him?

Oh please, as if! Using common sense... She did.

"I... I just... Well, I wanted... I... I guess..." _Great job looking suspicious. Why don't you add a little more stutter, you fool? Gosh, I am so stupid_. "I wanted some freedom away from that horrid stuffy palace I was in, always telling me to do this and that and this and that and being BITCHES and acting like- have you ever felt that? You know, people just taking control of your life? And that need to get away from it all? Call me a running away coward, but that I just... I just needed to clear my head for a while. No wait, you wouldn't know, I bet no one pampers you with 'sit still', 'stand tall', 'walk like a lily' shit. So I guess I wanted to run away... No, I fully wanted to run away so I- I just winged a plan, y'know? I wanted to stay out of the kingdom for a while- hell, I didn't even think about it! Getting out sounded like such a good plan that I just like... packed my stuff and ran out! And then I went into the woods and thought it would only take a second to get to the Heart country and meet some old woman and live there for a year or a month or something... But you found me, and if you didn't i'd be... um... not happy. Scarred. So I'm stuck right now and i'm completely at lost as of what to do. Oh wait, no, i'm suppose to stay with you, aren't I?"

No, she didn't look like a liar anymore, she was sure of that.

Instead she looked like some crazy insane woman with a brain problem.

But then it probably didn't matter because she was talking with one of the craziest people on earth.

No, the crazi_est_ person on earth.

"_If you say so, Majesty_," was all he said in reply.

Butterfly leaned back against the wall and dropped her eyes to the floor, strangely feeling ashamed of herself and suddenly weary. Suspicious minds seemed to follow her wherever she went, and it was making her tired. It was not the weariness that could be eased by sleep; it went deeper than that.

"Strange things happen all the time," she said quietly. "It didn't mean anything."

And it was the truth, wasn't it? All she wanted to do was to clear the air between her and the Joker, and hopefully not ever have to bring it up again. But she could see the doubt in his eyes:

_So anxious to convince me._

"_Very well_." He said it so lightly that Butterfly looked up at him again suddenly and frowned, confused at the change in tone.

"What?"

The Thief King leaned on his elbow and raised an eyebrow at Butterfly. "_Why do you look so surprised? I believe you_."

Butterfly knew what belief looked like, and it was nowhere in the Thief King's eyes. There was no earthly reason she could think of for why she should feel betrayed by this, but she did.

"That's a lie," she accused.

_"Isn't that what you wanted to hear? My_ trusting _you?" _A smile appeared on the King's face, quick and pitiless as the flash of a whip. He drawled the last word mockingly.

It stung.

"So," the princess returned. "how do you expect me to believe anything you say?"

"_Should you_?"

He had a point.

"You, _however, still owe _me." The Joker stretched, looking like nothing so much as a big cat. "_So what do you say, Majesty? Ready for your first day as my new lackey_?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The task that lay before her was so simple.

So simple, and yet so daunting.

_Go tell that lot of bums out there to make themselves useful,_ had been the Joker's exact words. He made it sound so easy, Butterfly thought with no small measure of resentment. Apparently, there were people in this goddamn motel the man brought her too. So she was wrong that night. It wasn't used for himself. And assuming that there were other residents, there were other bedrooms. In which, the Joker had forced her to sleep in the same bedroom he did, why? Because he didn't want her to sleep with other men? And they were criminals. Okay, probably not the best thing in the world, but that much she'd have to expect from living with the king of all pedophiles and robbers and whatnot. The problem with that was that all of the thieves were still asleep, and clearly it was going to be Butterfly's job to change that state of affairs. The King wasn't up himself – _The Joker sleeps as long as he damn well pleases,_ he'd declared, before entering some foreign room. In Butterfly's opinion, this was more than slightly hypocritical, but she kept her mouth shut. She considered trying to stall for time, but in the end steeled herself to the task at hand. The sooner she got it over with, the better.

Luck was on her side, however.

"Oh hello," a friendly voice called out.

Butterfly stared at the man in front of her- a young, happy man with flawless dark skin. It struck Butterfly as odd how happy a criminal could look. He'd woken as soon as Butterfly stepped into his chamber and was now sitting up in a pile of blankets, rubbing his deep, hazel eyes. His straight, jet black hair was sticking up every which way. "Up bright and early, I see. I never knew you were an early bird!"

Butterfly couldn't help but smile shyly back, despite her fear for criminals. "Um... You know about me?"

The man replied with a friendly, reassuring smile of his own that threw the noble off guard. "Oh, just a bit. Lynn mentioned it."

Now Butterfly was lost. "And... Lynn is who?..."

Hesitating, the man frowned slightly. "You don't know Lynn? You know... the guy you... slept with yesterday?"

"Oh, The Joker!" Butterfly exclaimed.

"Yeah," the man laughed.

_Lynn_. Butterfly smiled. Somehow the fact that the man had a name made him less terrifying. In theory, anyway.

"Oh, and before I forget! I'm Zazamoukh. Everyone calls me Zaza, or Zazu. And you're Butterfly, correct?"

The noble nodded. "Pleased to meet you."

"Same here." Zazu settled against the edge of his bed and smiled. "Hey, uh... What's your relation with Lynn?"

Butterfly stared up at him, dumbfounded. "Excuse me?"

Zazu started fidgeting with his bedspread, twisting the white cloth around his fingers, his face expression growing grave. "Are you... like, his wife?..." Then, checking the horrified expression on her face, he quickly added," or something like that? I don't really have the details, you know."

"No, it's not like that, really. It's just... It's nothing like that, I just was lost and he picked me up and-"

"And," a booming, deeper voice concluded from behind her,"he fucked you. Right?"

Butterfly turned around, startled, just as Zazu casually threw out a "Hey Gabe," to the man behind her, his stony attitude completely forgotten.

The man was tall with hazel hair, dark green eyes, and something Butterfly hadn't seen in a while- pale skin. And he deserved every bit of his deep, thunderous voice, as his body was tall and more buff then lean, and he was handsome in a burly, muscular sort of way. His eyes, though, were full of mischief. "And what's your name, lil thing?"

"Butterfly," she replied before she could think.

"Butterfly," 'Gabe' boomed out, grinning. "Her name's Butterfly! Doesn't that sound like a name some royal might have?" He pulled one hand out of his pocket and held it out for the noble. "My name's Gabriel. But lotsa guys call me Gabe. Girls would too, had they not been giving me blowjobs."

Butterfly stared at the hand, at the face, and back again, knowing by heart that taking the hand would be the right thing to do, but somehow feeling that if she did, he wouldn't be happy. She left her hand where it was.

He looked at her, surprised, then smiled back at Zazu, showing off healthy, white teeth. "She's a quick learner, this one!"

Zazu glared at him, his normally friendly hazel eyes turning absolutely deadly, and quickly flashed out a middle finger. "Stop being such a dickhead," he growled, before turning a apologetic smile back at Butterfly. It frightened her how easily they changed moods.

"I-It's fine."

The stutter did it. Gabriel turned his quick gaze from Zazu to Butterfly, his eyes narrowing. "Why the hell did you just stutter?" He demanded, Zazu's insult completely forgotten. Something inside him seemed to have clicked on, like a storm on the verge of breaking out. She had to say something, anything to get him from bursting-

"Criminals," she blurted out, not thinking again. "Lots of them. Everywhere. In real life."

By the time she had said it, it was too late to cover her mouth. She glanced from two sets of surprised eyes, feeling guilty. "No, what I meant was... i've never seen a thief in real life... and now, like... the idea of seeing so many... people... in one day it just... it just surprises and sort of frightens me, is all." She glanced around, hoping someone would break the horrid silent spell that was cast upon them.

It was Gabriel, or 'Gabe', to burst out laughing. Zazu threw a curious glance at him before he suddenly made the 'oh, I get it' face and joined in. Unsure, Butterfly frowned at him. "...Um?..."

Zazamoukh poured out water onto the burning embers of the fire in the lamp, which hissed and sputtered as they went out. "Well," he told Butterfly cheerfully, "now you know what we feel like when we get anywhere near the Palace."

Gabriel clutched his heart dramatically and widened his eyes. "Guards," he mimicked, his voice a breathy falsetto. "Lots of them! Everywhere! In real life!"

"Oh come on," Zaza said, unable to keep from laughing. "That's not nice."

"That's not what I sound like," Butterfly muttered sulkily, not quite brave enough to start a real argument.

Clearing up his laughing fit, Gabriel eyed Butterfly up. "So, what're you doin' here anyway?"

Butterfly cleared her throat. "The Joker told me to tell you - "

"I know, I know," Zaza broke in with a smile. "Look sharp, get busy. Right?"

Gabriel made a face and waltzed out of his room, leaving behind a booming, short farewell and the wish to see her well fed and plump. Zaza stared at where Gabriel was a few seconds back before looking at Butterfly sympathetically. "Whatever relationship you have with Lynn... be careful. If he had to choose between a girl who betrayed him, but he loves, and his own life, he'd choose his own." He got to his feet and yawned, muttering something about breakfast as he left the chamber, leaving a completely clueless Butterfly behind.

The task of waking the rest of the men, when she got right down to it, wasn't actually too bad. Kawab was next; a young man with an open, friendly face and dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. He was young, only a few years older than Butterfly, by the looks of it. Unfortunately, he was suffering an evil hangover as a souvenir of a whole sixteen bottles of rum the previous night. His room was pitch-black and when Butterfly pulled aside the curtain he gave an inarticulate bellow and buried his face in his blankets.

"Time to get up," Butterfly said, as encouragingly as she could.

"Five more minutes," came the muffled reply. After the fourth entreaty, however, Butterfly was beginning to get exasperated and suggested as gently as she could that the Criminal King might be getting up soon. This had an immediate effect; although Kawab grumbled and groused mightily, he stumbled to his feet and (with a hand clamped firmly over his eyes) left the room.

He later, however, rose to greet the day uncomplainingly, and Rafael, a curvy girl with spiky black hair, even graced her with a 'good morning' through the crack of her door.

Teti-En proved slightly more difficult. He was in his mid-twenties, a somewhat peculiar looking man with unusually light green eyes and a lopsided smile. He wore a single earring, in the shape of an ankh. He required a good deal of prodding, and when he was finally at a point where he was half-awake, sat up and began swearing at Butterfly - calling her a crocodile-headed son of a bitch and informing her belligerently that he had hidden her offspring throughout the fertile valley, and also in her pockets.

"But if I know my offspring are in your pockets," Butterfly pointed out reasonably, "they're not hidden anymore, are they?"

This practical observation seemed to bring the green-eyed thief back to reality. After a moment, he seemed to remember who Butterfly was and apologized profusely.

"Sorry, I- Sorry, damn I just- I mean god how could I- sorry I didn't mean- look I just- I didn't know- you are- say something like that- to do that- wasn't use to someone other than Zazu waking me up- you're not Zazu- Who are you?"

Butterfly blinked through the long list of stutters the man barked through before he grew silent. "I'm Butterfly."

"Another Joker-toy, huh?"

The princess shifted from one leg to the other, finding the dark wood on the floor extremely interesting. "There were others?"

"'There were others'?" The man repeated, his green eyes widening in shock. "You mean you haven't heard of Ariya or Mitch or-"

"Oh," Butterfly hurried on, feeling somewhat betrayed for reasons she couldn't possibly name. "Them. Yes, I've heard of them."

The man gave Butterfly a satisfied smile, as if completing a task, held out a weathered hand, and grinned insanely. "My name's Teti-En. Sorry about the morning. I didn't think the Joker'd send a girl up."

Butterfly, remembering Gabriel, let her hang by her side. "Nice to meet you, Teti-En."

In reply, the man gave her a weary glance and dropped his hand. The noble could detect a somewhat sad twinkle in his merry green eyes. "So you know the ways of the street rats like us." Then he stood up, giving the noble a quick pat on the head as he made his way to the door. Holding the golden handle, he turned back with a serious expression plastered heavily on his face. "I don't suppose you've seen any griffins around this morning?"

Butterfly stared at him, realizing once again that there was a large possibly the man was insane. "No, sorry."

Teti-En nodded as if he'd been expecting this. "Bastards tend to be invisible these days," he explained in conspiratorial tones, before sleepily closing the door and padding away without changing his clothes. Butterfly stayed absolutely still and listened to the man's footsteps echoing down the hall, before she heard Zazu's friendly voice call out to her.

"Breakfast time! Butterfly? I have no clue where you are, but you can come down and eat! The others don't have time to eat, we have to get out in a few minutes. I don't know about Lynn, but I'm sure not going to have you walking around starved. So come to the kitchen, it's down the hall and then down one flight of stairs- Teti-En, what the hell are you doing in your pajamas?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Breakfast was dates and beer with honey. Together it was almost unbearably sweet, but Butterfly was starving and wolfed it down so fast she barely noticed. She hadn't eaten in quite a long time, but despite her hunger she was full before she wanted to be. She was parched, so she ended up drinking more than she usually did. The beer was strong, and since Butterfly had always had a weak head for alcohol, resulted in a rather warm, happy feeling which, if she was going to be honest, she didn't mind at all.

The woods in the morning was even more beautiful than Butterfly had expected it to be, but it was also a little frightening. The stars were still visible overhead, but with the growing light they had been reduced to dim pinpricks of light, like dying embers in a fire. The vaulted skies were churning blue and lavender and orange, unfathomably deep. The last traces of nighttime chill still lingered in the ground and in the rocks, but it would be gone in a few hours. The sun seemed so close she felt she could practically reach out and touch it – suspended there like an ornament, a flat disc the sodden color of blood. The wind had blown the sand smooth as a baby's forehead. The dunes she remembered from last night were no longer there; new ones had appeared in other places. The air was crisp, and she could see for miles and miles into the distance to the point where the feverish light of the young sun blended the horizon with the sky.

Gone was the menace that seemed to creep up when night fell – by the light of the glaring sun, the mystery of the woods seemed less immediate, more profound and difficult to grasp, like halfway formed shapes at the edge of your vision that fled when you turned your head to look. The shadows of night had fled; in the limpid morning everything was visible. This only seemed to make what was not visible more concealed, like a secret hidden behind a smile.

Looking out of the entrance, Butterfly saw beyond a ridge of woods something glimmering far off in the distance. It was a body of water, surrounded by sand, yet so vast it seemed almost unreal. It was far larger than any of the artificial ponds she had seen in the city; it had to be a lake (something she had never seen but had read about in accounts of foreign travels). The new sunlight gleamed off the surface of the water, shattering into a million diamond scintillations that winked at her from afar, elusive and bright as a promise.

A promise.

Amon.

Butterfly stared blankly at the remembrance of her brother. Funny how the weirdest things reminded her of the man she had vowed to forget, to leave behind. Her resolve crumbled rapidly. If only they could share this scene together. He would be as enchanted as she was, but he, instead, would know how to sum the scene up in words, making her feel warm inside when she realized she felt the exact same way he did. They shared that closeness, they shared that sibling love, that tipsy giddiness. But now it was over.

She didn't notice that Lynn had walked up behind her until she felt a hand settle itself on her shoulder and a voice spoke from her side.

"_Enjoying the view, Majesty_?"

She didn't jump as she normally would have (she attributed this to the happy beer feeling and wondered vaguely if maybe she should start drinking more).

"How long does it take to get there?" she asked, her voice muffled by her drunk state. She didn't need to specify where 'there' was; Lynn had already followed her line of sight and was now gazing at the lake in the distance, where it hid behind the uneven mountains of sand.

"_Quite a while, I'm afraid_," the Criminal King replied, a smile curving his lips. "_It's not real_."

Butterfly squinted at the vision to see it better. It didn't seem possible, it was right there…

"_Just a mirage_," the man went on to explain dispassionately. "_A trick of the light. It's there most mornings, but it's always gone by noon_."

"I've never seen anything like that before," Butterfly said, partly to herself. Then she glanced back at the man behind her. "Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"_Tsuara_," he replied, holding her drunk gaze squarely.

"A-what-now?"

"_I live off of souls_."

The noble felt her eyes roll to the back of her head and forced it back in place, her head bobbing in a totally 'look-at-me-i'm-drunk' fashion. "Sooooo," she drawled, tasting the beer in her breath. "You just grab anyone- plunk, like that- and you pull their souls out?"

The man smirked at her, the left side of his mouth curving up and giving off a half-amused look. "_No. They have to give it to me willingly_."

At this point, she was having a hard time keeping her head from rolling around. _Heaven on earth_. "Willingly? Like all they have to say is I want you to eat me because I wanna suicide and then you go pluck their souls out and nom nom nom?"

Lynn didn't waver at all, perhaps due to his past experience with drunk men. "_They have to love me."_

"Ah," she replied, the happy feeling getting the best of her. And then she switched back to the fake-lake in front of her. Try as she might to convince her mind it was an illusion, some part of her brain refused to believe it. Especially when the wind seemed to ripple the surface like that… "It's beautiful."

"_That it might be_," said the Criminal King with a shrug. "_But in the end it's just more bloody sand. Now_." He gave Butterfly's shoulder a squeeze and turned back into the house. "_It's time to go in_."

"Wait," Butterfly called out, regretting doing so the minute she did. The man turned around, lavendar eyes piercing into her skull. Her voice wavered, but she managed to ask the question anyway. "What... what does shaking someone's hand mean?"

Lynn blinked dully before answering in a bored tone, as if announcing a trip to the market. "_It means you're going to sleep with whoever you decide to shake hands with_." Then he turned around again, saying something about how she should hurry up and follow him before she stumbled over her feet and trip, and how she should never drink. At that point, Butterfly wasn't listening at all.

Maybe it was the tipsy feeling. Maybe it was the way the man swaggered and smirked in the most attractive way she had ever seen. Maybe it was the creeping curiousity. Maybe it was the way his long, spiky hair sparkled darkly in the sunlight. Maybe it was because he was walking away from her, reminding her of the lonely, sinking feeling she had gotten when she had last seen Amon.

_Amon._

But despite all the 'maybe's in her mind, the thing she'd done next was as clear as day.

"Joker!"

Said man whipped around, burning lilac eyes and tan skin all. Despite his burning glance, Butterfly didn't waver in the least.

"Wanna shake my hand?"


End file.
